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Weekly Newsletter of the
First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton
September 4, 2024
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Note: Our Zoom Worship link has changed! We will change the link each year to improve security and preserve the integrity of our services. | |
Worship Service: Ingathering and Water Ceremony
Rev. Joel Miller and Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner
Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 10:15am
Each year, as we return to regular worship from our summertime holiday and travels, we gather once again to greet each other, renew friendships and connections, and blend waters both physical and spiritual. This year, our Ingathering is especially joyful as we welcome our new co-ministers, Rev. Joel Miller and Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner to our community.
If you are joining us in person and are willing and able, please bring a small sample of water that holds meaning for you.
You may also join us on Zoom: https://bit.ly/fuusn-worship-2024-2025
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From the Co-Ministers
Welcome home and welcome back as our new year at FUUSN begins! We hope you have had a delightful summer. We spent July moving into our new home. At the beginning of August, we gathered our families in Acadia, Maine, and we have just returned from a remarkable sailing trip in the Galapagos Islands. After our month’s mini sabbatical, we are excited to begin our ministries with you. We can’t wait to greet all of you this coming Sunday at Ingathering and our water ceremony (please remember to bring in a small vial water representing a place or people spiritually important to you).
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Just as a reminder, we will be sharing one full time position – Joel will be two thirds time (between 35 and 40 hours a week) and Debra will be on third time (between 15 and 20 hours a week). Debra’s FUUSN hours most weeks are Tuesday evening for meetings, Wednesday and Friday days in the office, Thursdays for writing and study, and Sunday mornings. Joel’s FUUSN hours are the same but also include meetings Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday evenings. We will take Sunday afternoon through Tuesday mornings as our shared Sabbatical time off.
We will share worship responsibilities and pastoral care as well as working with the
Board. Joel is the chief of staff, the minister’s representative on the operating council, and has primary responsibility for governance, religious education, operations, building, governance and supporting FUUSN’s Lay Ministers. Debra will have primary responsibility for community relationships, social justice, communications, and membership outreach. We may adjust our hours and responsibilities as we learn more about FUUSN.
Later in September, we will each hold an in person meeting and a zoom meeting for you to get to know us and for us to start getting to know you. In October, we’ll hold at least four appreciative inquiry sessions so we can learn more about what you love about FUUSN and your hopes for our ministry with you.
In the meantime, we’d love to learn more about you and your family and what you love about living in the Boston area. Drop us an email or a postcard introducing yourselves and sharing your recommendations for favorite hikes, restaurants, outings, community celebrations and the like. And if you love your doctor, dentist, masseuse, hair salon and the like, we’d love to know that as well.
We are delighted to be among you. Here’s to a great year ahead.
Rev. Debra and Rev. Joel
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Welcome Back!
Jenise Aminoff, Communications and Technology Coordinator
September is my favorite time of the year. The heat of summer starts to ease, the leaves begin to change their colors. September is harvest season, when farmers’ markets overflow with tomatoes and corn, apples and cider. And September is when everyone returns from their summertime travels and returns to school, work, and worship service.
Welcome back to FUUSN and a very exciting year ahead! This time last year, we were gearing up to celebrate our 175th anniversary, revisiting our roots and reacquainting ourselves with past ministers. This year, we look forward to a future with our new co-ministers, Rev. Joel Miller and Rev. Debra Haffner. Two ministers! It’s a big change, and with change comes opportunity.
As we come together once again at Ingathering, I invite you to imagine the coming year and ask yourself, what will you do at FUUSN this year? Will you chat with friends at coffee hour? Relax and reconnect at Ferry Beach? Find new treasures at our Yard Sale? Raise your voice with our choir or play in our band? Bake cookies to sell at our Holiday Fair? Get to know our kids by helping out with Religious Exploration? Deepen your own spirituality in Soul Matters? Give someone a ride to worship service? Take walks or play pickleball with our Over 60s? Bring your children in their pajamas to Family Fun Night? Join in a Zoom presentation, or help run one? Mentor a youth member? Enjoy a delicious vegan meal with our UU Plant-Based Eating Club? Ring out a joyful noise with our chime players?
You could take any, or many, of these opportunities, or you could come up with something new, your own unique way to enrich and support and deepen your connection with our FUUSN community. What will you do at FUUSN this year? I can hardly wait to find out.
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A Note on Gathering in Person
We are delighted to be gathering in person, and to have the option of Zoom for worship and event attendance. As Covid, RSV and other communicable illnesses rise and fall, we hope everyone will exercise caution to keep the community safe:
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Stay home if you feel unwell and definitely if you have tested positive for a communicable illness. Even if you think it’s just a cold, it could be a serious illness, especially for those with compromised immune systems. Follow CDC guidelines to prevent spread. Free Covid tests will soon be available here.
- Wear a mask if you feel well but may have been exposed.
- Remember that the last few rows of pews in the sanctuary are reserved for folks masking due to increased vulnerability to illness, and respect that space appropriately.
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FUUSN Choir Potluck and Open Rehearsal - Wed., Sept. 4, 6-9pm - Kitchen and Parish Hall
Come eat a lot and sing a bit with the choir!
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Recommended Viewing: An Ingathering Message from UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt
Please take a moment to read the welcoming statement and view this video from our UUA President. In includes "a review of all we have accomplished together in this past year and some of my deepest hopes for meeting the moment in the coming year."
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Wednesday, September 4
6-7:30pm: Choir Potluck, Parish Hall and Kitchen
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Friday, September 6
6-6:30pm: Zoom Vespers
6-7pm: COA Mentor Dinner, Alliance Room
7-9pm: COA Opening Session, Headstart Room, Parish Hall, and Sanctuary
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Sunday, September 8
12-2pm: Social Justice Action Presentation, Alliance Room
3-5pm: JourneySongs Rehearsal, Chapel
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Thursday, September 5
4-5pm: Member Services Meeting, online
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Sunday, September 8
11:30am-12:30pm: Racial Justice Task Force, Chapel
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Recurring Events
Wed., 6:30pm: Tai Chi Class
Wed., 7:30pm: Choir Rehearsal
Thurs., 4:30pm: CreationDance
Fri., 11am: Over 60s Walking Group
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Volunteer Opportunities for Lifespan Religious Exploration
(and not just on Sunday morning!)
You have an opportunity to share your time and talent with our religious exploration programs across the lifespan. If you are not already volunteering this year, I hope you will consider finding time to volunteer with our programs. We are expanding beyond Sunday morning so you won't even have to miss worship in order to volunteer for some of these opportunities. If any of these seem interesting to you or you have questions, please respond to Devin Shmueli. They are:
Nursery: Sunday Mornings
We need more folk to volunteer to be in the nursery with our littlest ones to lighten the load on volunteers providing care for this cohort. This cohort is the future of FUUSN.
Coming of Age Childcare: Select Friday Nights and Other Times
When Coming of Age gathers, we need childcare support because we have a batch of mentors who have not mentored before. Some of them have young children who cannot be left home alone at home. This is one way to help make our Coming of Age program a HUGE success.
Elementary-Level Sunday AM RE (K-5th Grade): Sunday Mornings
This cohort will have three formats: Club UU, Soul Matters, and Spirit Play. They will get to choose the name of their program during their first session so it is no longer called "Elementary-Level Sunday AM RE" and reflects who they are as a group! To learn more, stay tuned for the September Learning and Growing Newsletter that will come out tomorrow.
Junior Youth Group and Our Unitarian Universalist Traditions (5th-7th Grade): Select Sundays from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
A program that explores UU Identity, Theology, and History and incorporates social and justice-oriented activities.
World Blessings: Multi-Generational: Two Sundays Monthly starting in October from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM (Setup 4:00-4:30, Cleanup 5:30-6:00) (Two Adult Facilitators, One Youth Facilitator Needed)
A program that explores world religions and cultures while preparing and sharing a meal representing the religion or culture of the day. Field trip options to explore and learn more deeply will also be provided.
High School Youth Group (8th-12th): Gathering Times Vary
This allows youth to gather together for social and justice-oriented activities and the Youth Group will have an overnight trip in the spring.
Adult OWL Program: TBD (One Facilitator Needed)
This program requires that facilitators receive online training. Using values, communication skills, and spirituality as starting points, this program explores sexuality issues for adults of all ages. Builds an understanding of healthy sexual relationships, affirms diversity, and helps participants accept and affirm their own sexuality throughout their lives.
Note: RE Volunteers must have attended FUUSN for at least a year and will be background-checked prior to working with children and youth.
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Make Your Mark on a Sunday Service
Volunteer to decorate our chancel, greet attendants, light the chalice, or help out at Coffee Hour. Sign up on our Volunteer page!
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Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Events
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FUUSN Community Breakfast - Sunday, September 15, 9-10am
To welcome all of you back to FUUSN, on Sunday, Sep 15 from 9 until 10am we will offer an all-you-can-eat breakfast of pancakes, eggs, biscuits, bacon, fruit and other vegan offerings for $5 each (kids under 12 are free).
Kids: Wear your pajamas to church on breakfast day!!!
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FUUSN Community Expo -Sunday, September 22, 2024
We will host an expo of our FUUSN groups and committees from 11:30am - 1pm (during coffee hour) on Sunday, September 22, 2024 in the Parish Hall.
Invite your friends to experience what FUUSN has to offer!
Come and find out what the FUUSN community groups and activities have to offer! At the FUUSN Community Expo you will learn about:
- our spiritual offerings
- volunteer opportunities
- social justice work
- our events and retreats
And so much more…
Questions? Contact FUUSN-Community-Expo@fusn.org
Do you need to register your committee/group? Fill out this form.
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Soul Matters Sharing Circle Groups to Start in September
Last year, FUUSN had over 20 people in four Soul Matters Groups meeting monthly to explore and share on various spiritual topics. The groups are provided with a packet that enables members of the small group to explore a topic in the way and to the depth that suits them personally and then share on that topic at a group meeting. These groups enable all of the members to share what is going on for them and are different from other small group ministries we have had at FUUSN in that they are not discussion-based - Soul Matters is built around deep listening. To learn more about our approach, click here.
Groups reform each church year in September/October which enables members to get to know a different group of people more deeply. We know this will be popular based on how well attended all our groups were - it became an important touchstone for our group members. Newcomers are more than welcome!
If you would like to learn more about joining a group this fall or have an interest in taking a 2 hour training course* to become a facilitator for a group, please click here. If you have difficulty with Google, please email us at contact-member-services@fusn.org.
*New Facilitator Training offered Sept. 17, and Sept. 28.
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Bill Holland's Celebration of Life - Sept. 21 at 2pm
A memorial service for Bill Holland will be held at FUUSN on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 2pm. You may view his obituary here.
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Over 60s Fall Presentations Planned
September 29, 2024, 11am-2pm
Yoga - Presentation plus Practice with Helena Froehlich and colleagues - Alliance Room
October 20, 2024, 12-1:30pm
Presentation by Marty Lowenthal on “Common Sense Mindfulness in Changing Times” - Alliance Room
November 17, 2024, 12-1:30pm
Presentation by Kevan Hartshorn, MD. on “Understanding New Cancer Therapies and Their Importance for Older Adults.” - Alliance Room
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World Blessings
This year, our multi-generational offering will celebrate cultural and religious diversity, and the program, called World Blessings, will start in October and go through May. The group will meet on one or two Sundays per month from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, and will include people of all ages from 3rd grade and up.
An important tenet of Unitarian Universalism is an appreciation of our world and its many blessings. World Blessings introduces participants to our world's diverse countries, religions, and holidays through the shared activity of cooking. Cooking is a fun activity that helps keep people of all ages engaged and participating while they learn about the world.
I am seeking a few co-facilitators, including one of High School age. If you think you are interested, please let me know. We’ll form a team to lead this fun program together. If you would like to facilitate, please email Devin.
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Our sincere thanks to everyone who helped with our summer services, and especially Curt Lamb for coordinating everything. Thanks for keeping us connected over the summer! | |
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Have a news item you want to share? Want to schedule a FUUSN Event? Please use our web forms! Note that any event using physical space at FUUSN must be approved by Fran, and until you receive confirmation from her, that event will not be scheduled or added to our Events calendar.
Submissions to the first newsletter of September must be sent in by Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 at 9am.
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First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton www.fuusn.org | 617-527-3203 | | |
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